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Cindic Paganism
The faith practiced by the Cindic Reach of Vallenhall is in many ways somewhat distinct from other surviving old traditions of worship. Rather than being a form of proto-druidism and centered upon the worship of Wild Gods or nature spirits, the Cindic faith is derived from the mystic traditions of the Valtheim tribe, which were primarily shamanistic and centered upon a warrior culture. As a result, there is no pantheon of deities recognized within the Cindic Reach, being instead represented by the worship or veneration of ancestors who exemplify particular traits which one wishes to favor. The Igna The core belief of Cindic paganism is the concept of 'Igna', an Old Arathi term translating to roughly to 'True Flame'. The concept of a living igna is similar to a soul, though it combines the traditional idea of life force with that of 'will to live'; making a person's igna both their life's essence and their desire to maintain it. Most practices within the Cindic faith exist to promote the upkeep of one's own igna through trials and self-reflection. The belief system holds that without sufficient desire an igna will wither and fade, leaving the living body as very little more than a shell. A man with no desire is therefor seen as less than a man- a walking corpse in all but the coldness of his skin. It is generally accepted and practiced that living people must always have goals and that it is the ultimate purpose of all to eventually spread their igna's power to others, generally by the formation of a family, allowing a man to immortalize himself by passing his will and desires on to his children. Warrior Culture Due to the belief that one must harbor desires and ambitions to be considered truly living, the Cindic faith is one which indirectly promotes conflict and tribulation. One cannot desire a peace he already possesses or wealth he has already obtained; he must fight for these things, gain them for himself, or otherwise take them from his enemies. By the core of its teachings, the Cindic faith encourages young men and women to actively set goals for themselves and attempt to achieve them. While this is not strictly limited to combat- a blacksmith seeking to become a master of his trade could very easily have a powerful igna, for example- war has always remained the simplest of ways to act upon it. As a result of, or perhaps influencing this, is the belief that joining a 'group' of sorts- whether it be an armed force or a coalition of brothers- is equivalent to starting a family, for the purposes of passing on one's igna. To share your desire with others and to jointly work for them is, within the faith, spiritually equivalent to doing so with one's own children. Because of this, military leaders, warchiefs, tribal heads, and commanders of men are held in very high regard in the Cindic faith. The larger the gathering they've formed, the higher their prestige; some are even held essentially as immortals among men, people who have already begun playing host to an igna powerful enough to span generations. Ancestor Worship As a result of the belief in the functional immortality of a person's igna, it is believed that all men who possessed a great will are still represented in the world of the living by what they have passed on to their descendants or others who have fostered their will in the years since their passing. If your grandfather's will is still felt to this day, his desires still recognized and upheld, then his igna is still present in some form- allowing you to call on him for his blessing in carrying out his will in the living world. This worship is not strictly limited to one's own ancestors, however. Due to the faith's veneration of powerful leaders, this relationship is also carried over across generations and will frequently spread. Powerful military leaders of the past, charismatic Kings or Lords, the head of a highly influential merchant's guild- all of these are acceptable targets for veneration and worship by those still living, for their igna spanned many lives even in their own time. Notable Ancestors There are no deities recognized by the Cindic Reach, whether they be Wild Gods, Loa, Titans, or something else entirely. Instead, individual ancestors are upheld as the eternal embodiment of certain traits or characteristics. If one desires a boon relevant to these things, one makes offerings and prayers to the ancestor spirit in question. It is believed that some are so powerful, their will so continually manifested, that they have amassed their own afterlives and and will be joined by their devout followers, further growing their eternal will and expanding their grasp over the living world. * Karl the Valiant: The First of the Valiants, ancient Chief of the Valtheims, and founder of Vallenhall. Karl is upheld as the patriarch and patron of the Vallian family and the spirit of Vallenhall itself. It is believed that his will is tied inseparably to the well being of his people, his desire to protect and nurture them extending beyond the grasp of his own mortality. For this reason he is seen as the patron spirit of protection, family, and homes. * ''Ashmael: ''The only non-Human revered in the Cindic faith as of yet, Ashmael was the supposed companion and friend of Karl. An Elven swordsmith who's life the Chief had saved during the Troll Wars, Ashmael went on to craft the Vallian family's ancestral sword. He is revered as the patron spirit of creation, crafts, and brotherhood. * ''Jeron Vallian: ''The great grandson of Karl I, Jeron bested his elder sibling in a duel of honor to seize control of the House. He then went on to conquer the fields surrounding the traditional borders of Vallenhall, forever extending the reach of his family and providing them with their later-famous warhorses. Jeron is upheld as the patron spirit of conquest and war, his flame for greatness being fueled by the strength of his people. * '''Brokenblade': ''In life, Karl II Vallian usurped the seat of Vallenhall through trickery and assassination, killing one of his sisters in her sleep and driving the other into exile. Ultimately, his surviving sister returned home and bested him in a duel of honor. Being slain on the feet of his stolen throne, his sister legitimized him as her brother and proclaimed him eternally her sibling. Ever since, Karl 'Brokenblade' has been considered the patron spirit of deceit and dishonor. It is rare for his name to be evoked by natives of Vallenhall, and often it is a sourly spoken curse on a foe. Beyond these noteworthy few, countless ancestors are revered in Vallenhall. The faith is highly personal and often practiced on the level of one's own home. Family shrines honoring specific ancestors are extremely common, and few communal shrines to public figures exist. The one exception to this is the Ashen Walk, where the Brothers of the Cindic Reach dwell. Therein, it is believed that each discarded weapon or charred piece of jewelry is a shrine unto itself, a memento left by a Brother now dedicated to the faith, thus ensuring that though their names may be surrendered to time, their flame will forever remain in the Ashen Walk. Organization With the relatively small population of the March of Vallenhall and the highly personal nature of the faith, there has never been a need for a governing body or established authority over the Cindic faith. The closest thing which exists are the Brothers of the Cindic Reach, a cloister of monks who serve as spiritual guides for the people of Vallenhall. In much the same way that the Margrave claims direct descent from the ancient Chief of their founding tribe, the Brothers of the Cindic Reach are a direct evolution of the group of ancient tribe's mystics and shamans. Rather than establishing rules or regulations, the Brothers instead serve as interpreters for the wills of more distant ancestors, or spirits one has no familial connection to. In addition to this, the Brothers have often served as advisors to the Margrave in matters relating to the spiritual well being of his people. As a result of these factors, the organization of the Cindic Reach- and the faith as a whole- is highly simplistic. All Brothers are equivalent in rank and standing, only distinguished by their relative skills in discerning the wills of the spirits and their general wisdom. The only one to hold a proper title is the elected leader of their order, who speaks for them on grand matters and advises the Margrave. The traditional title for this leader is 'First Brother'. The current First Brother of the Cindic Reach is Rufio DeLeon.Category:Religion Category:Autarchy of Aurelia